Automatic filling device for oil reservoirs or the like



Aug. 15, 1933. w J MADDEN 1,922,383

AUTOMATIC FILLING DEV-ICE] FOR Of [L RESERVOIRS OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 2. 1952 2 Shets-Sheet 1 20 \\\t\\\ V WITNESSES: 7 INVENTOR:

w W'LZ ZwLm/JIYEMZMH, J6 WW 11. ATTORNEYS,

Aug. 15, 1933. J, MA D 1,922,383

AUTOMATIC FILLING DEVICE FOR OIL RESERVOIRS OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 2. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZQQI- wmvssszss: INVENTOR 2) TWZZULHL J May/[M11 BY W W TTORNEYS.

Patented I I a UNITED1STATES PATENT .OFFICE V I .1 ,922,ssa

AU'roMA'ric FILLING DEVICE FOR OIL .ansnnvorasoa THELIKEV 1 .William 3. Madden, Lansdowne, Pa. a v Application D c mber 2, 1932. Serial No. 645,388

' 7" Claims. (Cl.'137li8.

This invention relates-to automaticfillingde commonly used for driving fans, blowers or the vices. .While capable of -a variety of 7 uses, the like contain oil wells such as represented at 2 in invention is especially useful in its application to- Fig. II. The motor shaft isdesignated at 3 and oil reservoirs wherein it isdesired to maintain a has thereon a ring which actsas a distributor: constant oil level. For example, electric motors bringing oil from the bottom of the .Well .to the 60 4 require'periodic replenishment of their oil Wells, motor shafts and thence to itsjbearings 5. The andthetask of inspecting and refilling a numdesired level of oil in the well 2 is indicatedat 6. her of such motors at frequent intervals requires In applying thedevice of my invention to the considerable time and attention on the part of motor 1, I employ a socket 7, shown in perspective 10 a skilled operator. r r v in Fig. IV, which has thereon a-threaded projec- The-object of the present invention is to'protion 8 engaging a correspondingly threaded openvide an automatic filling device for maintaining ing 9 in theside'of the'oil-well 2. At itsopposite a-constantlevel in oil reservoirs or the like, which end the; socket 7 is provided. With an annular device is of inexpensive and simple construction flange 10 engaged by an internally threaded cap :;and readily applied to theapparatus to be 'lu- 11..v .To the threaded cap 11 there is applied the bricated, and requires" only occasionalattention auxiliary oil container 12 hereinafter more speover along period of time. v cificallyidescribed'. r

A more specific object of' the linvention is to The oil container 12 is preferably -L-shaped,

provide a filling device of this nature designed to as appears in Fig. I, and includes a verticalarmg'g'occupy normally an upright positionwith'rela- 13 comprising a sealed chamberand a horizontal tion tothe reservoir'to be filled 'and-swingable. arm 14 at substantially'a right angle'therewith about a pivotal connection with the apparatus. through which the container may be filled. At

to be lubricated, the filling device being so conthe base of'thecontainerand formed integrally structed and arranged as to maintain 'a tight therewithrthere is a discharge duct 15 in the form v "iseal at such pivotal connectionunderall condi '0f. a stem projecting laterally toward the oil well tions; a

' '2-..-'Ihe discharge duct 15 terminates ina fitting Another more specific object of the invention! 16 which includes an externally threaded portion 7 is to provide means for cutting off gravity fiowf en d y -9 1 On the Seeket between the fillingfdevice and the reservoir-.to fitting 16 also'inoludes plug 17 which fits' snugly 30 iwhich it is attached, when the device is swung Within the cylindrical bore 18 of the socket '7.

about its pivotal connection'for 'the purpose of A ring 19 of i co p peeking o u es the filling, Without resorting 'to the use of valves or space between the base :of the cylindrical bore other movingiparts; v 18.and' a shoulder near the end of the :plug 17.

Still other objects and advantages 'character- The packing ring 19 fo m a l p v n in l ak- 35 iisticfof my invention will become more fully apagelof oil at the joint The discharge du 15 i parent from the descriptionhereinafterset forth' d fi es' discharge p e ,'W i C eads to of one embodiment or example Q'fthe inventi the oil reservoir 2, the top whereof is coincident having reference .to the accompanying drawings; h t Oil level, as p e at W ich 18 Of the drawings: a 1 I 1 the level desired to be maintained in the oil well. 401': Fig. I'represents aside elevation of a portion y vi tu o the construction describedfit will of an'electric motor with/an oil filling device of b r pp that there-is 91 p vot e ileotioh bemyinvention'applie'd thereto, tween the auxiliary "oil container '12- and the. Fig. II represents a cross section of'the'same, socket 'Land that the f container 12 is adapted taken as indicated by the lines IIII of Fig. I; 'to-rotate with respectto the socket 7 about the 45 1 Fig. III represents a cross section of theoil axis of the discharge duct'15. ,Asillustrated in filling device; taken as indicated by the lines Figs.'I''III,;the oil container 12 normally oc- II-I-IIIofFig. II;fa'nd, I cupies a substantially upright position with the Fig. IV represents a'perspective viewof a socket? top thereof canted to one side. The overbalanc forming a connection between the oil {reservoir ing Weight of the container at "that side tends to 1 5O of the motorand the filling devicej 1 rotatethe'containerin a'cloekwise'direction about 9 7 While m-y'invention may take a variety of forms the axis of the discharge duct 15, and this and is applicable to the'filling of many-different turn tends to screw the; fitting 16. into the. types of reservoirs, Ilia've j selected for illustration threaded cap 1 1,', tl1us 3compressing the packing an example wherein-the filling device is applied ring 19 and maintaining a tight seal at the 55 to an oil'wellof an electriemotor 1." Motors now socket '7.

. 75: any.

At the base of the container 12, the discharge duct 15 extends inward as represented at 21 and merges with-an extension duct 22. The extension duct 22 projects at a right angle with thedischarge duct through the horizontal arm 14 of the container 12 and preferably terminates in a reduced end 2'7 near the mouth of the filling opening, 23. at that portion of the container. At the filling opening 23Zthere is {a removable 1,) threaded cap 24 preferably on its exterior 511 face. The cap 24 includes a window 25 of glass or other transparent material,

Accordingly, the cap 24 serves not only as'a 5 closure forthe filling opening 23, but servesalso as a sight gauge indicating the level of'the oil within the container v12 when that level drops below a certain point.

It will be noted that the container 12 normally topmost portion of: the arm 'l i, thus cutting on? 306 gravity flow between the'container 12 and the oil well 2'. 1 g

The operation of the oil filling device described above is as follows; "When it is desired to fill the container 12, the container is rotated "in a: iicounter-clockwise, directionto the position shown in dot-and-dash lines iiiFigfI. In'this posi; tion the arm 13'is conveniently held in one-handwhile the. cap 24 at the filling opening 23 is removed with'the other hand. With the cap 24 re-.! 7 40 moved; oil ispoured into the containerfi'lling the 7 same totheztop level corresponding to the top of the extension duct 22, and the capfis then scr.ewedon.Havin'g filled the container 12*,ith'

operatorswings' the container infa clockwise (ii- 45. 2 rejction to its normal upright position; Oil 15mm free to; flow through the extension duct 22 and the'discharge duct 15 into the oil'twell 2, but this flow-will only continue until'oil in the on wel1'2' reaches the level indicated at '6. Further fi'ow 503ispreventedbecause the container 12 is sealed" against the-admission ofjair." As the oil in the" motor well 2 is dissipated with the use of the mo to1",'thejl ev.elof oil in the well will be maintained"- at the desired-point, for, any reduction in the" '55? oil -level jis'accompanied by an admission of a small 7 amountof air into the container; which in'tu'rn' results in; the: simultaneous escape of a few drops of oil, and hencecauses the return of the 7 oil levelto the proper elevation.

'60. 7 It will be especially-noted that during the fill,-

ing operation oil 'canbe poured into thecon tainer without the 'dangerjof itsfiowing into the motorpi l well; it being most important that an 7 QXCCSS Qff oil should 'not be admitted tothe oil' 6ST well; {Ihe cutting oii of gravity flow between the oil container -12 and the oil ;well'2 during the filling operation 'is' accomplished by means of 'the special relation of thepextension duct 22 to the arm 1 3--of the oil container. Accordingly, in 105 contrastto -other formsofoil filling devices, the device of my invention does notutilize, or depend for its operation upon, valvesior other moviii'g" parts,v but it is of"simple' and reliable con struction an'd'is manipulaedwith ease and faand suitable gaskets 26 at the marginal edges of the same.-

While I have described one form which my invention may take, it will be apparent that various changes maybe had in the form of the device herein described, without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the annexed claims. Such contemplated changes relate, for example, to the nature of the swivel joint between the container, and the reservoir to 'bfilled, the" shape of the container, and the location of itsfillins ni s- 7 Having thus described my invention, I claim:

' 1;: A filling device for replenishing oil reservoirs or the likecomprising a container having a discharge duct projecting )from the base thereof, said discharge duct terminating in a fitting adaptedffor pivotalcorinection to the reservoir to which thedevice is, applied, a filling opening'at one side 'of the container, and a duct within the container fo rming an extension of the discharge duct' and leading to the side of the container upon which :the filling opening is located; f

.2.'A filling device for replenishingoil reser voirs or the like comprising a container having a dischargeiduct projecting from the base thereof, said discharge duct terminatingiina fitting adapted'forpivotal connection to the reservoir to which the device is, applied, a fillingopeningfat one sideof the. container, and a duct within'the' container; forminganlextension of the discharge duct and leading to' the side of the container upon which the filling, opening is located, said extension duct beingpf such length and disposed' at such'an angle with the axis of the container that when the container is swung downward from a normallyupright position to a position in which the'filling opening is at the top of :the container the extension duct will out ,oiT gravity flow between the-container and the discharge duct;

-35 A fillingdevice for replenishing oil reservoirs or thelike comprising a containerhaving 5 a stem formed integrally therewithand projectingifrom the base thereof; said stem including a fitting adapted for pivotalconnection to the reservoir to which the; device is applied, 'a discharge passage through'said stem, a' filling opening'at 12() one side of the container, and a duct within the container'forming an extension of the discharge passage, and leading to the side of the container uponwhichthe filling opening-is located. 1 4; A filling device for replenishing oil reservoirs orthe like.- comprising a socket at'an opening in the reservoir to be replenished, va container having an integral. discharge'duct projecting from the basethereof, said; discharge .duct terminating in a threaded plug ,Iengaging; within 'said socket, compressible packing disposed within said socket and adapted to seal the space between said plug and the opening in the reservoir, and a filling opening at one side of the container, said con tamerand its threaded plug being so applied'to fthe reservoir=socket that in its normal position the top of the containeriis canted toward theside which contains the filling opening withitsweight thereby tending to rotate said plugand compress saidfpacking.

5 .A fil ling device for replenishing oil reservoirs or the like comprising a socket; at an 'openingin the reservoir to be replenished,-a containerhaving anintegral discharge duct projecting laterally from the base thereof, said discharge duct terminating in'a threaded'plug engaging within said socket, compressible packing disposed within said socket and adapted to sealthe; space between said. plugand the opening in the reservoir, a duct thi ih n a ner f -1 m llx nsion f the discharge duct and leading to one side of the container, said container and its threaded plug beinglso applied to the reservoir socket that in its normal position the top of the container is canted toward the side containing the extension duct with its weight thereby tending to rotate said plug and compress said packing.

6. A filling device for replenishing oil reservoirs or the like comprising an L-shaped container ing, and a duct within the container forming an extension of the discharge duct and leading through said latter arm toward the mouth of the filling opening.

7. A filling device for replenishing oil reservoirs or the like comprising an L-shaped container having a discharge duct projecting from the in tersection between the'two arms thereof, said discharge duct' terminating in a fitting adapted for pivotal connection to the reservoir to which the device is applied, one arm of said container constituting a closed chamber and the other arm of said container terminating in a filling opening, a removable cap for closing said filling opening, and a duct within the container forming an extension of the discharge duct and leading through said latter arm toward the mouthof the filling opening, said removable cap including a transparent member serving as a sight gauge for indicating the level of fluid in the container.

WILLIAM J; MADDEN. 

